Topping and pruning knife



March 8, 1927. r 1 1,629,133

0. M. RANDGLFH TOPPING AND PRUNING KNIFE Filed April 15, 1926 Inventorflttorney Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES OTIS RANEDGLPH, OF KIN'SLEY, KANSAS.

TOPPING AND PRUNING KNIFE.

Application filed April 13, 1926.

The object of my said invention is the provision of a topping andpruning knife adapted to be fixed on the hand and possessed of thepractical advantages hereinafter ascribed to the same. v

The invention in all of its details willbe fully understood from thefollowing description and claims when the same are read in connectionwith the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification,in which Figure 1 is a perspective of the knife constituting thepref-erred embodiment of my invention. I

Figure 2 is a plan view of the knife with its metallic portion in a flatstate.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective showing the inner side of theupper portion of the forward brace member comprised in the knife.

Similar numerals of reference design-ate corresponding parts in all ofthe views of the drawings.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is adapted to be readilyadjusted and adjustably fixed to snugly fit and properly fit hands ofdifferent sizes, and in the said embodiment the body of the knife isformed by two plates 1 and 2 of appropriate, bendable sheet metal. Theplate 1 is provided with a series of threaded apertures 2 for adjustmentpurposes, and the plate 2 which is arranged in lapped relation on theplate 1 is provided with two plain apertures 3,

the said apertures 3 having countersinks at their upper ends and beingdesigned for the passage of the threaded shanks of screws 4: which arethreaded into the apertures 2* for the adjustable fixing of the plates 1and 2 together. Manifestly by virtue of the construction described, thebody of my novel knife may be increased or diminished in length asoccasion demands. The body is provided with a longitudinal side flange 5adapted to rest at the back and adjacent to the edge of the hand remotefrom the thumb, and the said body is also provided with a guard flange 6adapted to rest against the palm portion of the hand adjacent tospecified edge thereof. The said body is also provided at opposite sideswith forward and rear braces, the forward brace being designated by 7and the rear brace by 8. Man ifestly when the body is formed ofadjustably connected plates as described, the brace Serial No. 101,732.

7 will be integral with and carried by the forward plate 1, and thebrace 8 will be carried by the rear plate 2. Only the inner sections ofthe said braces 7 and 8 are integral with their respective plates 1 and2. The outer sect-ions 7* and 8 are adjustably fixed to the innersections insubstanti ally the same manner as the plates 1 and 2 areadjustably connected together. It will also be noticed that the braces 7and 8 are adapted to be bent from the positions shown in Figure2 to thepositions substantially as shown in Figure 1; also, that the sections ofthe braces 7 and 8 are provided with telescopically arranged flanges 9and 10, said flanges being designed to retain straps 11 and 12 ofleather or other appropriate material in the braces, and the said strapsbeing provided with buckles 18 and 14- so that they may be tightly andadjustably fixed to fasten the knife on the hand. i

The knife blade 15 of my improvement is of general. hook shape and isdetachably connected at 16 to the body by screws or other appropriatemeans. This provision is resorted to in order that the blade 15 may beexpeditiously and easily removed and as readily replaced with a freshblade when occasion demands. In order to lend increased thickness andstrength to the blade 15 the latter is provided on its back edge with arolled portion 17, Figures 1 and 2. I would also have it here understoodthat each of the braces 7 and 8 is provided with a lip extension such as18' in FigureB, both of the said extensions being also shown in Figure1.

In positioning my novel knife upon the right hand, the hand with thefingers extended and the thumb disposed upwardly is pushedinto thetrough of the body until the brace 7 is received in the seat between thebase of the thumb and the hand, whereupon the straps which arepreferably riveted to the body of the knife are fastened about the hand.

With the knife secured upon the hand in the manner described, the knifeis adapted to be used to advantage for the topping of grain, theoperator grasping the head of the grain with the extended fingers of theright hand and pulling rearwardly on said hand whereupon the knife willcut the stalk. Manifestly as the grain is grasped the knife blade 15 ishooked around the stalk below the hand of the operator so that when apull or quick jerk is given the knife, the stalk will be cut and thehead of the grain will be left in the hand of the operator ready to bethrown into a wagon or other receptacle. Thus by virtue of my novelknife applied as stated, but one hand need be employed in topping grainwhich is manifestlyan important advantage.

In the use of my improvement as a prur ing knife, the operation issubstantially the same as in topping grain, the knife user merelygrasping the vine or whatever it is wished to cut, and as the knifeblade 15 cuts, the part of the vine severe-d remains in the hands andcan easily be carried to any desired point.

It will also be appreciated from the foregoing that incident to the useof my novel knife, the knife is adequately braced on the hand, andrearward pull on the knife brought about through the medium of thefingers of the operator operating against the forward brace 7Notwithstanding the practical advantages of my novel knife as se forthin the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the knife is simple andinexpensive in construction, strong and durable, and is adapted to bequickly and easily adjusted to hands of diiferent sizes, and thiswithout the employment of skilled labor.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction andrelative arrangement of the parts included in the present and preferredembodiment of my invention in order to impart an exact understanding ofthe said embodiment in all of its details. I do not desire, however, tobe understooc as limitir myself to the precise construction andairangement of parts as illustrated and described, my invention being;defined by my appended claims within the scope of which modificationsmay be made without departure from my invention.

Having described my invention, what I 1 claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent,

1. A topping and pruning knife comprising a body having side flanges andalso havlng at opposite sides a forward brace and a rear brace, eachbrace being flanged, a. hook shaped blade at the forward end the body,and straps equipped with buckles and passed about the body and the majorportions of the braces and disposed between the said major portions ofthe braces and the flanges thereof, whereby the straps are held to thebraces.

2. A topping and pruning knife comprising abody having side flanges andalso having at opposite sides a forward brace and a rear brace, eachbrace being flanged, a hook-shaped blade at the forward end of the body,and straps equipped with buckles and passed about the body and the majorportions of the braces and disposed between the said major portions ofthe braces and the flanges thereof, whereby the straps are held to thebraces; the major portion of each brace terminating in an extended lipadapted to rest within and againstthe straps to hold the straps out ofcontact with the hand of an operator.

3. A topping and pruning knife compris ing a body having side flangesan; also having at opposite sides a forward brace and a rear brace, eachbrace being flanged, a hookshaped blade at the forward end of the body,and straps equipped with buckles and passed about the body and the majorportions of the braces and disposed between the said major portions ofthe braces and the flanges thereof, whereby the straps are held to thebraces: the said hook-shaped blade being detachably connected to the forward end of the body, and the body being formed of lapped plates ustablyconnected together whereby the body may be adjusted as to length, andeach of the braces be; ing formed of sections ad ustably connected.

together whereby the braces may be adjusted as to the length, and theflanges of the outer section of the braces being telescopically arrangedin the flanges of the inner sections of said braces.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

OTIS M. RANDOLPH.

